This is an exceptionally interesting obit! I wonder if the novel by James Weir based on Lonz Pennington is in the library. Sounds like a great novel of Lonz and Mary Powers. Does anyone know what the name of the novel was? JGW At 05:25 PM 9/21/2003 -0700, you wrote: >Must say, even though I'm not related to any of these people, I'm really >enjoying reading these newspaper excerpts! Marilyn > >-----Original Message----- >From: gc-gateway@rootsweb.com [mailto:gc-gateway@rootsweb.com]On Behalf >Of pennyrileprogeny@charter.net >Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2003 4:49 PM >To: KYCHRIST-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [KYCHRIST] Mrs. Emeline Pennington, b. @ 1805 d. Mar. 6, 1896 > > >This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > >Surnames: Pennington, Davis, Weir, Harry >Classification: Obituary > >Message Board URL: > >http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/mAB.2ACE/2418 > >Message Board Post: > >ALONZO PENNINGTON > >THE DEATH OF HIS WIFE RECALLS HIS CAREER AND DEATH > >The Only White Man Ever Hanged in Christian County--His Wife Believed Him >Innocent of the Murder for Which He Was Hanged > >(Hopkinsville Kentuckian) > >Mrs. Emeline PENNINGTON died at her home near Johnson's Mill last Friday at >the advanced age of ninety-one years. >A good old woman, esteemed by all who knew her, she had passed through >stirring times in her earlier life. She was the widow of the noted Edward >Alonzo PENNINGTON, the only white man ever hanged in Christian county. Lonz >PENNINGTON, as he was called, was executed in Hopkinsville in 1846, just >fifty years ago, for the murder of a man named DAVIS. At that time there >lived in this city a young lawyer named James WEIR. He wrote a novel taking >PENNINGTON as his central character, using the name Lonz Powers. He was >represented as a desperate, dangerous outlaw, the leader of a gang of >law-breakers who had a hiding place in the vicinity of Pilot Rock. A love >story was woven into the romantic career of "Powers" and DAVIS, the man >killed, figured in the book as a bright, good natured Irishman, one of the >principal characters. In the account of the pursuit, capture, conviction and >execution of the murderer, the devoted wife of the guilty man was the >heroine of the story. "Mary Powers" ! >refused to believe her loved one guilty of crime and clung to him to the >agonizing end. She concluded her farewell interview amid sobs and tears with >the couplet: "I know not, I care not what is in that heart; I know that I >love thee, whatever thou art." >Of course there was much in the book that was highly colored for the sake of >the romance. but the facts were substantially correct. Mr. WEIR still lives, >or was alive a few years ago, in Owensboro, where he afterwards made his >home. Many old citizens hereabouts remember the circumstances of the close >of PENNINGTON's career. In fact, one of the jurors who convicted him, Mr. >G.W. HARRY, still lives near this city. >He died declaring his innocence and many people were never satisfied in >their minds that he was really the murderer of DAVIS. It is needless to say >that the broken-hearted widow was one of them. Although she lived half a >century, she cherished her husband's memory, retained his name and died firm >in the conviction of his innocence. >The PENNINGTON family is a prominent and respectable one in North Christian. >Mrs. PENNINGTON raised several children and her sons made good and useful >citizens. (Source: Madisonville Hustler, Fri., Mar. 13, 1896) > > >==== KYCHRIST Mailing List ==== >Christian County KYGenWeb >http://www.kyseeker.com/christian > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go >to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > >==== KYCHRIST Mailing List ==== >Christian County KYGenWeb >http://www.kyseeker.com/christian > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, >go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237